diff --git a/ttg/CMakeLists.txt b/ttg/CMakeLists.txt
index 644b4dfb4..4f2dc5daf 100644
--- a/ttg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ttg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ if (TARGET MADworld)
   set(ttg-mad-headers
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/buffer.h
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/device.h
+          ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/devicefunc.h
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/fwd.h
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/import.h
           ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ttg/madness/ttg.h
diff --git a/ttg/ttg/madness/buffer.h b/ttg/ttg/madness/buffer.h
index 27e29d05b..fba1ee9e1 100644
--- a/ttg/ttg/madness/buffer.h
+++ b/ttg/ttg/madness/buffer.h
@@ -186,6 +186,10 @@ struct Buffer : private Allocator {
     throw std::runtime_error("not implemented yet");
   }
 
+  bool empty() const {
+    return (m_host_data == nullptr);
+  }
+
   /* TODO: can we do this automatically?
    * Pin the memory on all devices we currently track.
    * Pinned memory won't be released by PaRSEC and can be used
diff --git a/ttg/ttg/madness/devicefunc.h b/ttg/ttg/madness/devicefunc.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..563b433cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ttg/ttg/madness/devicefunc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#ifndef TTG_MAD_DEVICEFUNC_H
+#define TTG_MAD_DEVICEFUNC_H
+
+#include "ttg/madness/buffer.h"
+
+namespace ttg_madness {
+
+  template<typename T, typename A>
+  auto buffer_data(const Buffer<T, A>& buffer) {
+    /* for now return the internal pointer, should be adapted if ever relevant for madness */
+    return buffer.current_device_ptr();
+  }
+
+  template<typename... Views>
+  inline bool register_device_memory(std::tuple<Views&...> &views)
+  {
+    /* nothing to do here */
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  template<typename T, std::size_t N>
+  inline bool register_device_memory(const ttg::span<T, N>& span)
+  {
+    /* nothing to do here */
+    return true;
+  }
+
+} // namespace ttg_madness
+
+#endif // TTG_MAD_DEVICEFUNC_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ttg/ttg/madness/fwd.h b/ttg/ttg/madness/fwd.h
index 6bee1a832..b164a6f50 100644
--- a/ttg/ttg/madness/fwd.h
+++ b/ttg/ttg/madness/fwd.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "ttg/fwd.h"
 #include "ttg/util/typelist.h"
+#include "ttg/util/span.h"
 
 #include <future>
 
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ namespace ttg_madness {
   template<typename... Views>
   inline bool register_device_memory(std::tuple<Views&...> &views);
 
+  template<typename T, std::size_t N>
+  inline bool register_device_memory(const ttg::span<T, N>& span);
+
   template<typename... Buffer>
   inline void post_device_out(std::tuple<Buffer&...> &b);
 
diff --git a/ttg/ttg/madness/ttg.h b/ttg/ttg/madness/ttg.h
index d84f29dcc..690c8c404 100644
--- a/ttg/ttg/madness/ttg.h
+++ b/ttg/ttg/madness/ttg.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "ttg/base/tt.h"
 #include "ttg/func.h"
 #include "ttg/madness/device.h"
+#include "ttg/madness/devicefunc.h"
 #include "ttg/runtimes.h"
 #include "ttg/tt.h"
 #include "ttg/util/bug.h"